JERUSALEM (VINnews) — From this coming Thursday the directors of the tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai (Rashbi) in Meron will be closing the site to visitors, since no insurer is currently willingly to provide insurance for potential damages to visitors, according to a Ynet report.
Join our WhatsApp groupSubscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
Various different insurers were approached after the tragedy which occurred last Lag Ba’Omer when 45 people were killed in a crush after the lighting of the Toldos Aharon rebbe. Since then the site has been open without any insurance and thousands of visitors continue to arrive there without any form of insurance, meaning that if they are injured they cannot receive any financial restitution.
Recently, after the government failed to find a solution, the “Committee of Five” comprised of five different institutions which run the site announced that they are removing their responsibility from what occurs at the site and from Wednesday night the site will be closed to visitors.
In a letter to Religious Affairs Minister Matan Kahane, the director of the tomb, Eli Freund, said that “if no solution including a viable insurance policy will be found, the committee will be forced to announce the closing of the site from Wednesday night.”
Religious sites of all faiths have been visited since antiquity. How did people manage to survive without insurance? Or, just have visitors sign an iron-bound waiver that they know there’s no insurance and can’t sue for any reason.
the painful message from the powers that be that run the Meron compound is clear
if your life is at risk,, then the Bashefer will watch, the zechus of Reb Shimon will watch… nothing to worry about, don’t let the government make the place safer lest they take away some of our controll, let us be “in charge”.
if their fortunes are at risk and they just might be held responsible.. ha that’s a different story.. lets shut the whole thing down immediately, we can’t take that risk….
OUCH, this is what has become of us when we allow untouchable and unaccountable “askanim” run our affairs. the Askanim want “all the power” with “non of the responsibility”
I know a guy who will smuggle in up to a group of 4 for 15 minutes for $750
And may it stay closed or ever and ever. That would be a great beracha for clall yisrael.
The govt doesn’t offer like in the USA flood insurance (and car) some kind of insurance for high risk stuff?